One of Vladimir Putin’s most valuable air defence systems in the war – an S-400 ‘Triumf’, worth up to £960 million – has been blown up to pieces.

Footage circulating on Telegram shows the attack, carried out by Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces, in occupied Crimea.

The ‘Triumf’ launcher can be seen engulfed in flames moments after it was struck by FP-2 drones.

A large ammunition depot belonging to Russia’s 18th army also fell victim in the strike near the village of Udachne, outside Simferopol.

A 92N6E multi-functional radar and autonomous power supply equipment for the S-400 command post were also destroyed.

The attack happened on October 6 – but information about the mission had been withheld until now for operational security reasons.

Resistance spies working for Ukraine in Crimea had pinpointed the location of the Russian assets.

A statement from the Special Operations Forces Resistance Movement said: ‘The S-400 is designed to detect and destroy air targets at long distances.

‘The enemy also uses this complex for strikes on the territory of Ukraine.’

Ukraine’s forces described the attack as part of a continuing campaign designed to pressure Russia’s military and degrade their ability to conduct offensive operations.

This comes as Russia and Ukraine gave traded almost daily assaults on each other’s energy targets as US-led diplomatic efforts to stop the nearly four-year war had no impact on the battlefield.

Ukraine’s long-range drone strikes on Russian refineries aim to deprive of the oil export revenue it needs to pursue the war.

Meanwhile, Russia has been working to cripple the Ukrainian power grid and deny its civilians access to heat, light and running water.

Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on X that the strikes have damaged ‘several major energy facilities’ around Kharkiv and Kyiv, as well as in the central Poltava region.

An energy company worker was killed in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, regional head Oleh Syniehubov said in a post on Telegram.

‘We are working to eliminate the consequences of the attacks across the country. The focus is on the rapid restoration of heating, electricity and water supply,’ she added.

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